Art Of High Speed Photography – Frozen Images by Lex Augusteijn

Lex Augusteijn is a Dutch photographer specializing in high-speed photography, capturing the moment a bullet hits objects such as light bulbs, water-filled balloons and even drops of water.

Lex says: “I started photography back in 1976, mostly black and white which I developed and printed myself. In the eighties and nighties my photographic activies declined, until I bought my first digital camera in 2001, an HP715 point-and-shoot camera. This boosted my enthusiasm again, and I found myself not touching my analog SLR any more, but I missed its versatility. This made me buy my Canon Digital Rebel (300D) in 2004. But still missing some features, I joined a group that developed a firmware upgrade, enabling features similar to the 10D” [a newer, higher-spec Canon camera]

A balloon full of water being shot

He says: “The images are frozen by the flash speed. I can go as low as 1/40.000 by reducing flash power. The bullet is real, though fired by a coil gun, which has much less energy than an air rifle, which again has lower energy than fire arms”

A light bulb being shot

“It is all controlled by a laptop, releasing the drop, opening the shutter, firing the flash and shooting the bullet. No triggering required,” says Lex

In this shot, Lex captures the moment the bullet hits the water drop

A bullet is reflected as it slices through a drop of water

End of Life

A Coke can is shot

A bubble implodes as the bullet passes through it

An egg explodes as it is shot

He also creates beautiful images by photographing drops of water or milk. He calls this photo Drop Umbrella